House: Season 6 Finale Review & Discussion [Updated]

This past season of House has been anything but pleasant for our infamous diagnostician. Starting out the year in a mental hospital, House was forced to come to grips with his pain killer addiction. If that’s not bad enough, he has to continuously see a psychiatrist while moving in with Wilson. Although, that all came to an end when Wilson reunited with his ex-wife and forced House to move back into his newly painted apartment.

Even though House had his issues, his fellow compatriots at Princeton‑Plainsboro also had their fair share. Aside from Wilson getting back with his ex, Chase killed an African dictator, Cameron broke up with Chase as Jennifer Morrison left the series, Taub begins cheating on his wife again – but then stops, Foreman fires Thirteen and she takes a trip to Thailand before returning and Cuddy’s relationship with Lucas becomes even more serious.

Despite all their personal and professional problems, the team was still able to save patients from over 40 diseases, including Fabry disease, Vibrio vulnificus, haemochromatosis, Arnold-Chiari Malformation, Henoch–Schönlein purpura and a woman having an allergic reaction to tattoo ink – yeah, I don’t know what most of those are either, but I’m glad they’re curable.

If that doesn’t make for a fulfilling season, I don’t know what does.

So, pop a couple Vicodin (kidding!), hire your favorite investigator to spy on your friend’s ex-wife and make sure you’ve got Interferon on tap, because it’s the House season finale.

Preview

Cuddy, House and members of the team join forces with a search-and-rescue team to provide much-needed medical attention at the scene of an emergency in the “Help Me” season finale episode of HOUSE.

Review

For the past couple of seasons House, in my opinion, has somewhat waned in terms of storylines compared to the first few seasons. Sure, the underlying House story-line with his addiction, love for Cuddy and what not were still present, but so were the in-depth storylines of his team – his ever, ever, expanding team.

By no means am I implying that the subsequent seasons were bad. House has continuously been one of the best written, most entertaining shows on television. But having to include so many story-lines in an episode means that others may suffer – in screen-time, if not quality.

Tonight’s season finale of House however, was not only beautiful masterpiece in both acting and writing, but also a refreshing return to basics. It included so many jaw-dropping, heart stopping moments that this episode could easily be considered one of the best episodes of House to date because it not only gave fans what they’ve always wanted (House and Cuddy – together), but it also provides an amazing platform to start of the seventh season.

Simply speaking, Hugh Laurie has sealed his Emmy nomination and win with his performance in this episode. Laurie, easily one of the best actors on television, continuously shows his range and talent as a performer with his portrayal of House and this episode, above all others, shows just how beautiful of a performance he can deliver when given an episode focused solely on him.

I cannot tell you how many times I sat still frozen in my seat while watching the events of this episode unfold. While the scene of a horrific collapse would easily make anyone take pause, it was what occurred after that really took hold of your attention. The scenes between Hannah and House, while underneath all that rubble, were eloquently written and performed. Through their interactions House was forced to reveal the humanity and compassion that everyone knew he had, but was often hesitant to reveal.

Throughout the episode, House not only became closer to Hannah, but also closer to Cuddy. Something that was the initiated by him gifting Cuddy her great-grandfather’s book – the one that was stolen back in the previous episode. While initially watching the episode, one would have thought that the climax of the finale would have been the heart-breaking ambulance ride, but as fans continued to watch through the final moments, a series climax occurred.

As we watched House contemplate giving in to his addiction to help relieve some of that pain that Hannah’s death caused, you would be lying if you said that you saw that ending coming. Out of nowhere, Cuddy steps in and every wish that fans have had since the beginning come true.

Where do we go from here? Will House and Cuddy be able to maintain a real relationship? I guess we’ll have to wait until the fall to find out that answer. Until then, I’m happy to revel in the satisfaction of the great characters finally getting together – maybe Bones producers should take note.

Final Thoughts

The sixth season of House was not only a beautiful episode in which Hugh Laurie shined as the troubled doctor, but also a monumental one by taking the series in a new refreshing direction.

What did you think of the season finale of House? Will House and Cuddy be able to stay together? What will happen next season? What happened to Thirteen?

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housejunky5 years ago

LOVED the season finale!! Bet 13 is pregnant !That’s why she needs time off……. Hope the writers keep the Cuddy/ House relationship alive and WELL !

As far as keeping the relationship fresh to add a twist to the relationship bring back the F B I agent that house fell in love with. Then again Occasionally bring back the lady from re-hab . Add an softer side to house when he sneak off an play with the baby . Better yet House take the baby on an outing

Great season finale. Hugh Laurie is such a fabulous actor. He does not need words to convey his emotions. The look on his face in that final scene….WOW. I must admit that the show has become too much into the characters and too distracted from the diagnosis, but hey…we all love a little soap opera in our fav tv shows huh!

Thats all that happend, he asked her if he has to worry bout hallucinating? and she asked did you take the vicadin? He said no and dropped the vicadin on the floor and kissed her again. That was the end.

It most likely is. The ending shot shows his dirty hands and her clean ones. The explanation for this is that she is not the real Cuddy that just came from the collapsed building. It could also represent that she is “clean” and he is “dirty” inside but I don’t think the writers would be so metaphorical.

Does anyone think that ending was just a little too bizarre? After she spent the entire episode convincing him she didn’t love him and has moved on? I think we’re gonna find out that there was another collapse at the jobsite after house left and Cuddy was caught in it and she is at deaths door. I think it is her spirit that appeared to Locke to profess her love. The season opener will be House saving her life and once she is well, he will double down his efforts to win her because he knows her true feelings. Thats what I think.

I’m sorry, but I have some serious doubts coming out of the House season finale. Some doubts were erased as I watched the episode evolve. Was House being manipulative when he was giving the book to Cuddy? – the answer became ‘no’ when his reaction to her engagement was shown. Was House just trying to impress Cuddy and manipulate Hannah when he assessed his decision on the operation that mangled his leg? – that answer became ‘no’ when he blew up at Foreman about nothing going right for him. So the Cuddy moment in his bathroom could be a great thing, except…..

Did anyone else notice the moment of House sitting in his bathroom shortly before the scene shifted back at the crash site? Is it possible that the last half of the show was a huge scene concocted in House’s Vicodin tripped out head? Think about it, the brutally (and gracefully) honest assessment of how his life has been since the operation – that’s not House. The dark, inactive lobby of PPTH as he turns on Foreman to complain – no hospital would be dark like that. Cuddy showing up in scrubs at House’s apartment – did House leave the door open or unlocked? Cuddy’s explanation about just ending it with Lucas because she loves House – a bit too easy to come by is it not?

Something is not right. If House is in it, something cannot be right. If everything went as it did, then this is a true moment of either jumping the shark or David Shore taking a huge gutsy leap of artistic faith that he can handle a 7th season that will include:

1. Does House and Cuddy actually have a relationship that can last? 2. Is 13 dying or (as some are suggesting) pregnant. 3. Is Wilson and his ex really for real? 4. Is Taub going to be faithful? 5. Might Chase find a new love? 6. Is Foreman going to be relavant again for a storyline? 7. Who may be coming in to replace 13 – please let it be Linda Cardellini from E.R.

I would love to believe that the ending was real and that House and Cuddy were going to get together. It just seems that this finale was too good to be true. Have you ever seen a season of any show end with everything the audience would want come to fruition. I think not. I mean it was too perfect. If it is true great. My alternative scenerio is that when the next season opens we will discover that the second collapse of the building has House pinned in there and unconscious. His mind just conjured up what happened with Cuddy in his bathroom. None of the things that happened after the second collapse really happened. I hope I am wrong!!!!!

I think we all should have seen this coming. The previous episode in which House re-vists his therapist shows a side of him in which he seems to give up on life itself. That episode seems to explain that everyone else has moved on, one reason for him to give Cuddy the book knowing he has nothing to lose. Also the scene in which he amputees the leg shows something House would have not normally done, taken orders from someone else (cuddy)and opening up to a patient. A sign that he seems to have changed from his stubborn ways after visiting his therapist.

I disagree with the hallucination theories, it would be too repeatative. I think this series has always been focused on House being miserable, and how much is House willing to take before he finally colapses. Shore can use the realationship, between House and Cuddy, to take House’s misery to a new level. Maybe even a final level. The question I have, Is season 7 the final season of House?

Reading some of the other posts, I am thinking that there is a possibility that MAYBE next season would be as much a transition as the fourth one was when House had the team try-outs.

Maybe the House/Cuddy thing can be a lesser plot subject, the transition (assumed loss of 13, Chase back at surgery, Foreman outsourced to some other part of PPH and Taub gets shot by his wife for cheating – ha ha ) can be the main subject for most of the season as a new team is assembled.

Maybe Wilson’s cases provide some interesting medical puzzles, while Chase and Foreman both take on similar Wilson-like roles in House’s life. In this way, House is gaining a more healthy support system. On second thought, would that not be a great way to end a series like this?

I think if it is the writer’s intention to make the ending scene an hallucination it would be technically flawed. House has been off Vicodin the whole season. The hallucinations were a symtom of his constant abuse of the drug, i doubt he can go back to hallucinations by simply popping a few pills.

Does anyone think it almost felt like a series finale? I know Hugh Laurie is signed on for more seasons, but last I heard the show hadn’t been renewed yet. Almost as though Hugh changed his mind and wants to move on.

Just food for thought. With the exception of 13, it seemed to tie up alot of loose ends.

I think the ending was too perfect as well but then I thought the same thing about Desperate Housewives. Maybe its a new trend.

I think 13 is asking for time off because she is going to try an experiemental treatment for her Huntington’s. If you read up on HD you’ll see there are all sorts of “treatments” being tried. My husband suffers from HD and I’m interested to see where they go with this story line.

I think House is either pinned or took a giant whack on the head. Everything that happened after the second collapse seemed almost dream-like. He pulled the medicine cabinet off too easily…and why the two bottles? And why was cutty not in the hole helping him take off Hannah’s foot? If someone was cutting my foot off I’d be screaming, thrashing and kicking them off me with my good foot. Only stands to reason it would have taken at least 2 other ppl to hold her down.

I agree with you. House and Cuddy dont belogn together. It wont be the same if we have a mushy House, the dynamic of good (House) against evil (Cuddy) wont exist anymore if they are together. And it wont work out as we all know, and that would only push House deeper into miserable-ness

I love House but don’t like House & Cuddy together. I can’t see House being in a healthy relationship with anyone. Even with his revelation to Hannah how keeping his leg twisted him, I don’t see it making him change his ways. And really, would we want a kinder, gentler House? Personally, this show works best without romantic entanglements except as a sub-story. Once you focus on the relationship, it all gets TOO soap opera-ish and loses the edge that makes House such a terrific show. That said, I don’t think the finale was a dream or drug-induced hallucination. I think it was real (altho their kiss was NOT very enthralling…more like a kiss between friends)

Oh boy, it was an enthralling kiss, I assure you… It gave me goose bumps all over 😉 That said, I too think it was too easy, I still have my doubts it is real. It made me smile, though; Cuddy and House DO have huge chemistry. I still remember my favorite line from House, when he was allucinating woth Cuddy last season and she asked «You want to kiss me right now, don’t you?» and he said «I always want to kiss you.» Beautiful.

I loved the episode. I think that the episode was ment to show that he was miserable and sad everyone else was moving on and happy, while house was trying to change and become a better person and was frustrated bc in trying to change he still was not happy. I understand how ppl can say it looked rush, but they could have been trying to fiteverything into the hour time slot did anyone notice they di not have the opening creditsn. i think if it was a dream or house or cuddy were dying while dreaming about them kissing it would be to much like lqst year but u never know, if anything it should be cuddy dreaming of house to change it up

However i loved the episode and as always the actors and crew u can tell are so talented and know how to deliver a great episode!!!!1!!

It was crap. And I’m a HUGE House fan (seen every episode a million times). It was like the writers just had to do the “Hollywood” thing and wrap everything up in a nice big bow. What a disappointment. House’s character has taken six years to develop into the psychologically scarred mysanthrop that we all know and love. Why would the writers feel it necessary to have him seek a happy ending (even when we all know that it is only temporary). So next season will be all about the on again off again between House and Cuddy. The only thing that will redeem the writers is if they kill Cuddy off in the first few episodes..

Honestly, I made a concerted effort to not miss an episode this year because the Cuddy-House thing. I really want them to work. So much of this season either didn’t address the relationship or even worse had Cuddy turning him down. When House said in an earlier episode “I love Cuddy”, I melted. When House told Cuddy “The last thing I want is to be your friend” I agonized. When Cuddy told House she didn’t love him and he needed to move I felt the stinging knife in my heart that House felt. I never felt so bad for House. I thought the episode showed how far House has come and yet even when we try our best, things can still go nightmareishly wrong. I really empathized at what an awful day he had gone through. That being said I was so happy that Cuddy and House finally got together, It was a little out of left field but that’s good. Most of the season finales have been out of left field (or call it a plot twist) but usually in a catastrophic way. It was nice that this was a reward for House’s sobriety and humanity. We all know he has been punished for his obnoxious arrogant drug addicted behavior. At last – a happy ending.

I was awake thinking about this last night. It was really bothering me.I really think it was all a dream that happened while House was unconcious after the second collapse. Everything that happened after it seemed dream like and weird. I betcha the new season will open with him still trapped under the building and barely getting out alive. This show gives me so much anxiety! But I can’t stop watching it!!! :0

Could it be that the writers just want to show the good things that happen when you quit an addiction, we all know that this show is widely viewed by the young demographic as well, … or maybe not, I don’t know, the hallucination/dream theory isn’t that far off.

A couple of things: 1. addicition doesnt just “go away” 2. Have you noticed that House has become increasingly cruel over the course of the season. 3. His attempt to save Hannah ended in failure, his attempt to “win” Cuddy by his gift ended in her telling him that she was engaged and moving on. The terrible loss of Hannah, if it occurred, likely would have caused a tremendous upheaval in House – and a likely return to addiction. The show has never been a “take the easy way out of a story line”. I find it hard to believe that the Cuddy we saw in the closing minutes – or House – was more than his own deepest wishes-as seen through either a phsyical crisis (pinned), or emtional – Cuddy pinned?